Second Life: A Singapore Installment
by CrimsonSkyTamer
Summary: "It's time to create a new legend." The famous game [Second Life] has been released in Singapore (and with an English patch to boot). OC-centric/AU story, few (if any at all) minor cannon characters appearing. Rated T for language.
1. A Second Life

_**[Prologue: Second Life]**_

My phone vibrated, signaling that a new message was incoming. Blinking, I unlocked my phone, making sure to keep it out of sight under the table, lest the teacher discovers the "unauthorized usage" of electronic devices in class.

Opening my inbox, I inwardly cheer when I see the message, sent by my best friend. This best friend of mine was more up-to-date on the latest things, while I can be considered rather "backward" for someone of my generation. Still, while she could be rather annoying at times, it paid to have her as a friend.

_[It's here.]_

Those were the two words in the message. I couldn't stop a grin from spreading across my face; the well-known game [Second Life] would finally be released here in Singapore, and with an English patch to boot.

It was time to create a new legend.


	2. I Change my Gender

_**[Chapter 1: I Change my Gender]**_

"You want to what?!" The helmeted figure sitting on a throne before me exclaimed in shock. Unfazed, I merely repeat myself. "You heard right; I want a male avatar."

…are you lost?

I guess I'll start from the beginning, then.

My name is Xiao Long; others call me Dragon. I'm 18 years of age, female, and I come from an average family. My scores are average in almost every subject…basically, I'm your average Joe on the street. (If you haven't figured that out already.)

I'm currently in the game of [Second Life], a famous virtual reality game with 99% realism which started in China and went viral. And now, it's officially in Singapore with an English patch. (Some extra information: I'm using the English patch because I can't read traditional script.)

To be more exact, my actual body is at home, lying on the bed in a locked room (no, this is not a murder mystery) while my consciousness was in the game. And I just told the GM that I wanted a male avatar, and it seemed incredulous.

"Are you crazy?" It exclaimed. "Game rules decree that females level faster, and gain more EXP in quests and fighting and all that whatnot."

"And do the game rules specify not allowing a player to change their avatar's gender?" I reply drily, and the GM sighs. "Our China counterparts don't allow such requests."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…fine, I'll ask my superiors."

I cheered, punching a fist into the air. I had always played as a male in every other VR game (that I played), and I was not breaking that streak for just a single game. Besides, having an easier time leveling was the perfect excuse to swap genders; there was just no point in playing an "easy" game.

The GM took off its helmet. Long brown hair cascaded down, revealing her identity as a girl. "They've agreed to let you change genders, seeing as you are a "unique" player, according to them. Apparently, you're the first person who requested this. Most females wouldn't change genders seeing that they have bonuses. Anyway, are you really sure?" She asks, face betraying her worry. "You're only allowed one character."

A small smile tugs at my lips. "I'm sure."

"Alright." She waves a hand, and in an instant, many avatars of different races appear. "See any one you prefer?"

I take a look around, and nearly slip on a puddle of water. "That's also an avatar," the GM explains, and I immediately refuse.

"Can I see myself as a…celestial?" I question, and she blinks, but waves a hand accordingly. Most of the avatars vanish, leaving just two standing before me.

One had two pairs of thin, silver, papery wings, in addition to black hair the exact same shade as mine, only a lot shorter. "That's the fairy race, a subdivision under celestials," the GM comments. But I wasn't paying attention.

"What's this other one?" I point towards the other avatar. He too had black hair, but he had a single pair of snowy-white feathered wings. "Angel race, the second subdivision under celestials." She informs me, and I nod.

"Can you make his irises red?" She blinks, before complying.

"And about 1.65m tall?" Upon seeing her confused look, I elaborate. "So that it's not too awkward getting used to a height that towers over mine." She nods, before waving her hand once more.

Just as I was debating on what to add next, the GM spoke. "You know, you can add up to 30% beautification, and vice versa." I blink, before shrugging. "I can customize everything, right?"

She nods, and I began listing down everything.

_~A whole long list later…~_

"Right, you can decide on your username now." She gives me an awkward smile, and I shrug. "Can I use the name Stormsaber?"

She nods, typing it into a translucent keyboard that appeared before her. Hitting the "enter" key, she stands up and steps off the throne. "I'll activate your account now." Even as I flash her a small smile in thanks, she grins. "See you later."

Bewildered, I open my mouth to question her but no sound escapes my mouth as the floor vanishes from beneath my feet.


	3. A Necromancer and a Priest

_**[Chapter 2: A Necromancer and a Priest (and my stupidity)]**_

I awoke to find a grinning skeleton staring at me. Its eyes – fine, its empty eye _sockets_ – loomed right above my own (eyes, not eye sockets), causing me to scream in terror.

"_ARGH!"_

…don't blame me; it's not my fault the game has a realism level of 99%.

The skeleton drew back, before raising a gleaming bone-white scythe (made out of bones) above me. In it, I could see a reflection – my reflection. I still had jet black hair that fell in thick locks, but it only reached till neck-length. My fringe, while about the same length as my hair, was messy and uneven. A single lock in the center was slightly shorter than the rest, and fell across my face; the right side of my fringe was longer than the rest, and hung down to somewhere slightly below shoulder-length.

My eyes were blood red, and while my skin tone had a rather average tan, the quality that struck me most was the almost inhuman beauty of my avatar. His angular face was clearly defined, and his features were sharp and harsh – just as if one was attempting to stare into a stage light. Funnily enough, I didn't see any wings on my back. Perhaps a quest had to be accomplished before they could be unlocked?

A whistling sound reminded me that I was not alone; the bone scythe sliced through the air, intent on severing my head from my body. Panic threatens to overwhelm but I roll to the right – an instinctive reaction – just in the nick of time, as the scythe buried itself inthe ground where my head was previously.

I get up and turn to run, but soon stop short, surrounded by more skeletons. I counted about 15 skeletons, including the one which attacked me earlier (and was now trying to free its scythe).

Blades whistled through the air as they started attacking without rhyme or reason. "Damn this shit!" I cursed, before driving a fist into the solar plexus of the nearest skeleton – or rather, where the solar plexus was _supposed_ to be, for the skeletons were nothing more than assembled piles of glowing bones.

_**[Stormsaber's attack was not very effective. Krios's skeleton HP -5, Stormsaber HP -3. Stormsaber's reputation -10.]**_

…what. WHAT?! Those infernal things actually _belonged_ to someone?!

"Alright. Now who's the idiot who's killing my skeletons?" A girl stepped into the clearing. As she did, she waved a hand, and all the skeletons crumbled into piles of dust that soon dissipated. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair with red highlights at the bottom, along with a pair of black eyes that were devoid of emotion, yet seemed like a bottomless pit. Though what struck me most were her pointed ears…oh, and the fact that her voice was rather low for a female.

"Oh. It's you, isn't it?" She deadpanned, walking over and looking down at me with an expression that seemed somewhat like disgust, though it was rather obvious that she was trying to appear emotionless.

(…did I forget to mention that she was a head taller than me?)

"Obviously a total newbie. Didn't even make it to Starting City, by the looks of it." She spoke in a condescending tone, referring to me in third person just as if I wasn't there.

Annoyed, I looked up at her before jabbing a finger into her (rather flat) chest. "It's called self-defense. Your skeletons attack me and I attack back. It's as simple as that."

"Not very effective, was it?" She spoke drily, pushing my hand away. Yet I saw a hint of what seemed to be respect flickering in her obsidian eyes, though it lasted for only a fraction of a second.

"Che." I couldn't fault her for that. I had gotten injured myself, after all. Turning around, I began to walk away, not having the desire to associate myself with this weird elf.

"Wrong direction." She spoke, even as a stone sailed into my back, straight between my shoulder blades. "Oops, sorry; meant to hit your head." Sarcasm was practically dripping from her words, but it took me a while to register.

A tingling sensation was spreading throughout my back, and if I concentrated hard enough, I could feel something emerging from that very spot. Barely a second later, white feathered wings burst to life from there, with a few feathers falling onto the ground like snowflakes.

_**[Stormsaber has learnt a new skill: Flight. Tips for new players: to view your stats, call out "System".]**_

I ignore the girl behind me, and call out "System" accordingly.

_[Player: Stormsaber | Level: 1 | Race: Angel | Strength: 5 | Agility: 6 | Defence: 4 | Luck: 5 | Wisdom: 6 | Charm: 4 | Reputation: 0 | Skills: Flight (Lvl 1, +0 stat)]_ was what popped up on a screen before me.

I could hear her snort from behind me, and as I turned around to tell her to mind her own business, a soft cough stopped me in my tracks.

"I see that you're having fun, Stormsaber." A very familiar voice echoed around as I whirled around to face her.

Now dressed in a black sleeveless trench coat with red lining at the sides, the GM walked towards me. She was wearing a plain white T-shirt and a pair of white long pants beneath the coat, along with a black belt. While she retained her brown eyes, she now had brown hair.

"You?!" I have such awesome speaking skills.

"Yeah, me." She smiled. "What's your class?"

"He doesn't have one yet." The elf interjects, before turning to leave. "He's a total newbie."

The GM blinks, while I pick up a stone and threw it at the elf. "Shut up."

She moved so fast that I barely had time to witness her reaction: in a flash her staff was out and a wall of earth was erected around her. The stone bounced harmlessly off the earthen wall, which soon crumbled back into soil a few moments later.

"…huh?" Was my highly intelligent reply.

She turned back, cold obsidian eyes betraying her amusement. "You do not attack a mage by simply throwing rocks at them, newbie."


	4. I Get My Butt Kicked

_**[Chapter 3: I Get My Butt Kicked]**_

_She turned back, cold obsidian eyes betraying her amusement. "You do not attack a mage by simply throwing rocks at them, newbie."_

Well…fuck. "I'm screwed, aren't I?" I question, and a weird smile crosses her face. "Yes, you are." She agrees, before brandishing her staff, which came up to about one and a quarter times her height.

The transparent orb on its top – set securely into the white bone beneath a "C" shaped curve at the top – began to glow a dark indigo-violet. Skeletal hands clawed through the rumbling earth all around her, eventually rising to form an army of 15 skeletons.

"You're at Level 15?" I guess, but she ignores me, instead choosing to twirl her staff single-handedly, ending with the glowing dark violet orb right in my face.

"Your move." She smirks.

I stare blankly, debating on possible ways to attack. Naturally, I came up with a blank - as proven by my oh-so-powerful punch earlier, physical attacks don't work really well. And with the huge level gap, it was almost impossible for me to do anything - made worse by the fact that I had no weapon.

...yeah, this sucks, I know.

"You can open your inventory by flicking your hand like this," the GM remarked as she flicked her right hand downwards.

I did so, but at the same time I noted that the elf girl's eyes drifted to the human-looking GM. (I say human-looking because...well, I wasn't too sure of her race, to be honest.) It was almost as if...they recognised each other?

But the moment passed soon enough. Opening my inventory, I materialised a small, dark red velvet pouch. Quickly thrusting a hand into it, I pulled out something that looked like a hunting knife…

...just in time to fend off a blow from a gleaming scythe made out of bone.

"When did the attack start?!" I yell at the smirking elf, even as her skeletons attack me once more.

Now, I'd like to say that I defeated her with my new hunting knife, but sadly, no. I got my butt handed to me instead. On a silver platter, no less.

It was true that I enjoyed fighting. And even then, it was something that went beyond skin and bone to the joy of successive kinetic movements. But I was up against AIs (Artificial Intelligence) controlled by a (rather sadistic) player.

Needless to say, the odds were very much not in my favour.

While my shiny new knife did do more damage to the skeletons then my punch did, but in the end their numbers won out. I defeated about 4 of them - their HP is damned freaking high - but it cost me slightly more than a third of my HP.

Now, if I had taken note of this fact, I would (usually) have formulated a strategy to beat the skeletons. Unfortunately, I didn't fully register this fact and resorted to which randomly attacking the skeletons, earning myself a sigh from the GM and a sly smile from the elf.

(Come to think of it, it was the worst move I'd ever made in an RPG battle.)

So basically, I almost got slaughtered by Krios's skeletons, while said elf girl was standing there smirking at me.

Life is just _so _fair.

The good news is that the GM stepped in. The bad news is that she stepped in when I had 1% of my HP left.

"_Just stop it already. He's almost dead."_ She had said, stepping forward to stand between me and Krios, who looked rather amused.

"_He's just another player, Kuro."_ She did, however, snap her fingers and return the skeletons to dust. _"PKing does yield rewards after all."_

"_You're just bored."_ Was the GM's reply, to which the elf shrugged and turned away. _"Do as you wish."_ Was her reply, and the GM sighed, before turning around and muttering something under her breath.

To my surprise, I found my HP going back up as a faint yellow glow surrounded me. "Wha-?"

"I'm a Priest." Was the GM's explanation. "And my name's Kuro, by the way."

I blinked, before realising that I owed her my thanks. "Um, thanks…?"

_Shit that came out wrong._ My not-quite-statement earns me a smile from Kuro.

"Let's go to Starting City." She comments, before turning to look at Krios, who stares at her in return.

"Fine, I'll come along." She finally mutters, but not before pointing her staff at me. "A single wrong move and I won't hesitate to kill you."

Even as the three of us head for Starting City, I couldn't help but wonder how I ever attained such "interesting" (read: lethal) companions. Life sure hates me, doesn't it?


End file.
